AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- Aviano’s Child Development Center assists DoD military and civilian personnel in balancing the competing demands of the mission and family life by managing and delivering a system of quality and affordable services.
The CDC here has doubled the staff within the last year, and recently hired new members from the local Italian community to accommodate waitlist requirements.
“With this new initiative of reaching out to the community, we can bridge the gap with staffing shortages we’ve historically seen at Aviano,” said Sarah Fisher, 31st Force Support Squadron CDC director.
With this new recruitment, the CDC is able to start opening classrooms to full capacity and will eventually be able to exhaust the waiting list of eligible patrons.
“The new hires are all so very excited to work with American children and provide excellent care that we know and expect of an Air Force Child Development program” Fisher said. “This has a direct impact on mission readiness, and will provide much needed care for our active duty members so they can get to work and get the job done.”
New caregiver staff and an assessment of the CDC and School Age Program facilities enabled the 31st FSS to expand offerings and give families the opportunity to intertwine local culture and language into their classrooms.
“I’m excited to be a part of this community and to work with the kids,” said Manca Kocevar, 31st FSS education technician. “I’m still getting to know how it works but it’s a good environment to be in, being able to help and relate to these families.”
The 31st FSS continually assesses capabilities to improve and increase childcare offerings for the Wyvern Community, and offers this first-class care in a safe and healthy environment, said Lt. Col. Gregory Long, 31st FSS commander.
There are several new requirements Aviano families must meet to keep in compliance with COVID-19 regulations, adding to the process of finding care for their children.
“I do want to take the opportunity to thank the community for their patience and support while we have gone through a COVID shutdown and reopening,” Fisher said. “Our Civilian Personnel Office works really hard to get all the paperwork done as quickly as possible and we really appreciate the support and understanding we have received from everyone.”